Latestarter's ramblings/musings/gripes and grumbles.

[Pastor Dave]

I've got a gal or two at church that behaves this way too. Stirs folks up with their pushiness, and calm the time or two a year while on vacation. Tying them up seems like a good alternative.

 

[Latestarter]

I know I have it nowhere near as bad as you folks further north, but I thought I'd left this sort of thing in CO when I moved down here to nice warm TX. Since it's cold and wet, I'd considered doing the burn pile over there on the right, but it's still a little breezy, and just too danged cold to stand out there and monitor it.

 

[Pastor Dave]

I heard Houston and another big TX city in that area had school closings for snow.
We were out yesterday, and two hour delay this a.m. Our snow hasn't melted in between falls. So, we are sitting with abt 7" and drifting. The low last night was -3F, abd up to +10F today! Whoohooo! Heat wave. Supposed to climb this week to abt 50F on Sunday,

 

[Goat Whisperer]

LS- How old is Bang? Is she bred?

Some goats will go through this, when they are they seem especially mean to the other goats.
The first year we had Mariah here (LM) she ended up shattering her 1/2 sister's leg. Our barn had plenty of room and was dry.
Mariah had been mean, but not this mean. But she was bred and was a hormonal brat.
She spent the next several months in isolation. She had her own stall and her pen.

She eventually mellowed out. Same thing with our other doe Millie (we had to de-horn her). She is still the boss but doesn't go around seeking goats to harass. Right now everyone is pretty chill with each other, but someone will more than likely take Bang's thrown after she leaves...
We have a doe right now who is a spaz. Love people but has nervous energy around the others goats. They in turn feed off of that energy and terrorize her. But they do at lease let her in the shelter.

Goats can be brats. I wish they would just get along!

 

[High Desert Cowboy]

Wow you got way more snow than we do! I’m not sure what’s going on in the world where you’re freezing in Texas and I’m spending my afternoons in shirt sleeves.

 

[Latestarter]

Bang has been that way basically since she arrived. She has always been the herd queen. Of course CC wasn't born at that point. I believe that she is bred, and that may be the issue as she seems to be getting meaner as time goes by. All the adult does are starting to "show" some girth and I'm hoping for lots of twins and doelings when the time comes.

Yeah HDC, what's up with all that? Seems these arctic fronts keep coming down east of the rockies and bottoming out way down here. You can take this cold and white wet stuff back whenever you've a mind to.

 

[CntryBoy777]

Well as ya know, I too experience the behavior of the goats too....but, only having 3 and plenty of room it is less of an issue. It is my understanding that offspring born to the herd queen have that immediate recognition within the herd. Their building having 2 different rooms sudsides some of that action and the tables in the 1 room allows all to bed down without too much difficulties. The experiences that I have had while owning them and not having a desire to milk is the reason I have decided to go with meat goats if we stay here and their interactions have placed me in the position that butchering wouldn't be as difficult, no matter how cute they are growing up....

 

[greybeard]

If Bang was a cow, she'd have done hit the highway or freezer.
I expect yearling bulls to get into shoving matches but they always leave the females alone in those little contests of strength.

Freezing rain/sleet so far here, most of the night but I think it's done now and lighter stuff to follow. (I'm about 150 miles south of LS, and 40 miles N of Houston)

For my neck of the woods:

Today 01/16
90% / 1.3 in

Snow this morning will give way to lingering snow showers this afternoon. High around 30F. Winds N at 10 to 15 mph. Chance of snow 90%. 1 to 3 inches of snow expected.

Frozen gate latches and froze shut truck door isn't something I see often.
Cattle with icicles hanging off their hair isn't either.

I-20 at Canton Tx early this morning.

 

[AClark]

I'm kinda at my wits end with Bang. When I keep her away from the hay or pellets, all the others eat together just fine with very little fighting or anxiety. When she's in the mix, everyone is on edge and she continually tries to "own" all the food buckets, moving between them and chasing whomever is eating there away. She also chases them away from the hay feeder, and as I stated, she constantly chases and butts CC. I'm starting to see the same traits in her kids from this past spring, CB & CM. I think after she kids and I see what she provides, she's going to get sold to a home that either has very dominant goats, or none and wants a milk goat. I'm really getting fed up with her BS. For the next couple of real cold nights, I think Bang is going to be attached inside the shelter to keep her from running anyone else out. Maybe she'll get the hint?

Athena was like this, but to the dog. At feeding time, she cornered Sadie and smashed into her several times - without reason. Sadie was coming over to me to get her dog food. I took Athena to the auction the very same weekend and sold her pregnant and all. I didn't want to deal with anything out of such a mean nasty thing. My kids were really wary of her too, as she'd posture and snort at them. She is not missed at all.

Sometimes, if someone just can't "play nice in the sandbox" they get their walking papers. It changed our dynamics so much just removing the two bullies that it works out better for everyone. All 8 goats in the dry lot will eat together peacefully now and get a fair share, instead of two pygmy jerks gobbling down twice the amount of feed they should be.

Have you considered getting that scur re-burned or banding it since it's causing problems?

We're matching you in temps but no snow here. Just lots of wind dropping the temp to negative miserable.

 

[greybeard]

Oh, and that "high around 30" ? It happened about 3-4am.